


As The Crow Flies

by LowmansOldLady



Category: Sons of Anarchy
Genre: Contains Cussing, F/M, SOA - Freeform, WIP
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-15 18:01:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29068482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LowmansOldLady/pseuds/LowmansOldLady
Summary: Never in her life did Nora expect to live in a place with the name Charming. Recently graduated from tech school with a degree in graphic design, she moves to the quaint town to start up her new business. What will happen when she runs into the town's Motorcycle Club and their Enforcer? [Happy/OFC]!!Work in Progress!!
Relationships: Happy Lowman/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 35





	1. New Town, New Day

It was a bright and sunny day in northern California, and the early September wind was blowing through the open windows of the black truck. Nora, a short and sweet brunette, pulled into a parking space behind her new shop, New Day Pixelation. She had moved to the quaint little town of Charming about a month prior, after finishing college.

Born and raised in Oklahoma, Charming was quite a change from her hometown. Her hometown was the type of city where you knew your neighbors, but just barely. Most people tended to keep to themselves. Of course, there were the few folks that liked to get to know you, but only for the gossip.

Charming, on the other hand, was the type of small town where everyone wanted to know you just for the sake of knowing you. It was a very pleasant thing. That was the exact reason why Nora chose the town to start up her business.

Graphic design had been Nora's passion since her sophomore year of high school, when she first entered the world of Photoshop and InDesign.

After graduating high school, Nora started at the local tech school in the graphic design program. Two years later she was completed and had an associates degree in the subject. She had spent 13 long months saving money and looking for the perfect place before finally finding Charming.

So Nora packed up her belongings and high-tailed it to California. She put down the money for the lease and got it within a few hours. Apparently none of the locals had wanted to lease the old handyman's store after one of the pipes burst back in '02, and no one had brought new businesses to town in years. She even got it for half of what the realtor was asking. So with the money left over, Nora set out on the repairs. During that time she had found a lovely two bedroom two bathroom house to rent.

That was a month ago. With the renovations completed and the furniture added, the store was set to open today.

Grabbing her purse from the floor of her truck, Nora got out and entered her new store after unlocking the back entry. 

She couldn’t believe that a month ago this place had smelled of mildew and had mold on the floor and walls. The renovators had done their job tremendously and no traces were left behind. Now the store smelled of the apple cinnamon fragrance that she had in an Air Wick.

She sat at her desk in her glass walled office that took up the majority of the space. In the front of the space was a small reception like area that held 10 comfortable chairs for clients with a table in the middle with things to read, a drink station, a receptionist desk that held the log book, and a small children's area with a few toys and coloring books for the clients who brung their children with them.

The space wasn't too big, it wasn't too small, but a nice medium that was cosy but not cramped.

It was 7 p.m, closing time.

It had been a good first day. Five clients came in looking for Nora to design things for them. Two from here in town, and three from Lodi. All of them had the easy task of making new logos for their companies. By the time Nora was done for the day she had come up with rough sketches for two of the five clients. 

After locking up, she climbed into her truck and drove to the local diner, Hannah's, for dinner. She felt that she deserved to eat out since she had successfully completed her first day.

Once there she chose a booth in the front with a view of Main street. After ordering, She grabbed her newest book from her purse and read during the wait.

She was finishing the first chapter when a loud rumbling caught her ear. At first she ignored it, figuring it was just a passing motorist. But the rumbling continued to get louder until it was right next to her. Nora looked up from her book, and stared outside at the row of motorcycles that were being parked outside in front of where Nora was sitting. 

There were six men in total. One was an older man with grey hair, a blonde guy in his late twenties or early thirties, a lanky looking guy who couldn't have been more than more than five years senior herself, a brunette one with a mustache and goatee, a guy with curly black hair about the same age as goatee guy, and the last man was tall and bald and gave off an aura of 'don't fuck with me’ that Nora could sense just by looking at him.

Five of them were laughing at something another had said and were slowly making their way towards the door. Tall and Brooding didn't look to be in a joking mood, but followed behind his companions.

Her eyes were dragged away from the group as the clink of dishes were placed upon the table in front of her. The waitress was Nora’s age with short dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

"Double steakburger dinner with fries and a salad. Anything else I can get you ma'am?" She asked Nora. The group passed by, carrying on obnoxiously as they headed towards a booth. They settled on one just around the corner from hers.

Nora cleared her throat and asked for a refill on her soda. After a moment the waitress, Sadie, her name tag read, brought her cup back and Nora began to eat.

Halfway through her meal, Nora got the feeling that she was being watched. She looked up from her plate and scanned the floor until her gaze locked onto the culprit. It was one of the men who rode the bikes. The tall one who gave off the impression of wanting to be left the fuck alone.

Nora's green eyes locked with his dark ones for what felt like forever, but was probably only a few seconds. A clammer across the room gave her a startle and she looked that way to see what had happened. Seeing that no one was hurt, she looked back towards the man. She was slightly disappointed when she found that he was not looking at her now, but towards one of his buddies to his side.

She finished the rest of her meal lost in her thoughts. Thinking of new ideas for one of her clients who wanted as many options as possible. Only a few times did she think of the man with the dark eyes who sat twenty feet away, glancing at her every so often.


	2. Bikers and Car Trouble

"Come on you stupid piece of shit!" Nora shouted, banging her hand against the steering wheel.

It was a little after 8 o'clock and she had just finished her dinner. She had made friends with her waitress, Sadie. After a short but mindful chat about the book Nora was reading, they exchanged numbers and agreed to meet up sometime soon and get to know one another.

Nora wanted nothing more than to go home, take a nice soothing bath, and finish her book before calling it a night. But fate thought otherwise because when Nora went to start her truck, it wouldn't. It was turning over but not starting. Great. Just what she needed. 

She slowly lowered her head onto the steering wheel, as to not cause it to honk the horn. It was finicky and the wrong touch would set it off and wouldn’t stop unless you kicked the panel where the fuses were. It was a total pain in Nora's ass when it happened, but she hadn’t had it fixed.

Maybe this was karma's way of punishing her. She hadn't fixed a simple thing like a fuse, and now the entire truck wouldn't start. Thanks Karma!

A knock sounded on the window next to her head. Nora let out a squeak of fright, and jumped. The face of one of the bikers next to her window. The good looking blonde one. Like Prince Charming.

Nora indicated she was going to open the door and he stepped back a couple of paces. She slid out and dropped to the ground unsteadily. Blondie grabbed a hold of Nora’s arm to balance her, and after she was steady on her feet, he let go.

"Thanks. It doesn't matter how short the vehicle, I always manage to do that."

His mouth turned up. "It's no problem Darlin'. It never hurts to help out a pretty lady."

Nora felt warmth rush to her cheeks at his statement. What a charmer. "Ooh you sly man! Name's Nora." She stretched her hand out to him.

"Jax. Nice to meet you Nora." He shook her hand and held it for a second longer than necessary before letting go. He nodded towards her truck. "Won't start?"

Nora snorted. "What gave it away? The fact I've spent the past three minutes relentlessly trying to get it to turn over, or the utter look of defeat on my face?"

A chorus of laughter sounded. She looked behind Jax to find the other five a few feet away standing next to their bikes. Apparently, they found her statement hilarious.

"Easy Darlin'. Wanted to check, not just assume." Jax put his hands up in mock surrender.

Nora let out a huff of annoyance, blowing a strand of loose hair away from her face. "Sorry. It's been a long day. I opened my business today and just want to go home relax."

He gave her a smile. "No problem. We all have those days. Got anyone to call and pick you up?"

Another sign left her. "No. Just moved here a month ago and haven't made any friends yet. Makes times like this harder than necessary." Her hair kept falling from its place behind her ear. Annoyed, she placed it into a bun at the back of her neck.

"Want a ride home? We work for an auto repair shop here in town. I can have one of the guys bring the truck down and tow it in. Have it checked out tomorrow."

She gave him a questioning glance. Was he being for real? "Why would you do that for me? You just met me and I can guarantee that your shop is closed, as it is going on," She glanced at her watch. "8:23 P.M."

He laughed. "Just being neighborly. Can't a man be nice without an ulterior motive? Anyways, it's no problem."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to put anyone out. I don’t live far, it's not that much of a walk."

"Nonsense. What kind of gentlemen would we be if we let a woman walk home when we are able to give a ride?" The grey headed man said. 

Jax looked at her expectedly. His smile never leaving his clean shaven face.

Nora gave a few seconds of consideration before saying "Alright."

The goatee guy, whom she noticed had cuts on either side of his mouth, curving upward like a cruel smile, gave her a smile and said in a thick Scottish accent, "I'll give the prospect a call. Tell him to bring the truck down and pick up your cage."

She raised her eyebrow and cast a 'what in the world' glance at him but did not say anything as he walked away, phone in hand. She didn’t have a cage, just her truck.

Nora made conversation with Jax and the other man who was only a few years older than her, who’s name was Juice, for about ten minutes before a white tow-truck pulled into the parking lot and backed in behind her truck. A guy, probably around Juice's age with red hair, jumped out and began to hook it up. She noticed his leather vest had only the word 'prospect' on the bottom. It was different from the others' vests. The others had a reaper on the back holding a machine gun, a scythe protruding from the end, along with the words ‘Sons of Anarchy’ and ‘California’ below and above it. 

A loud shrill sound cut through the air. Jax pulled a flip phone from his jeans pocket and gave her a look as if to ask 'Give me a moment?'. She politely walked away towards the guy hooking her truck up so that Jax could talk to whoever was calling in private. 

"Hey. Thank you for doing this so late and on such short notice. I apologize if I've kept you from anything." The man gave her a smile. "No worries. You actually helped me out. Piney was about to have me clean the toilets." 

Nora raised her eyebrows. Who was Piney? "Good lord is that what prospecting is? Doing shit jobs? Sounds hella crazy." He burst out laughing. It took her a moment before it clicked. "No pun intended."

Once he finally calmed down and wiped a fake tear from his eye he responded. "You're funny, I like you. I'm Half-Sack. And to answer your question, kind of. Cleaning the toilets is one of the many jobs I do for the club. It's stressful at times, but they're my family. Everything is all in good fun. One day it'll all pay off and I'll finally get my top-rocker." 

Nora was about to respond when the sound of footsteps approached . She turned around to find tall and brooding standing so close to her that she could feel his body heat on her back. Although he stood no more hair away from her, it was as if she wasn't there at all. He spoke to the redhead next to her. "Take her truck to the shop and get it up on the lift. Then go over to Bobby's. He clogged the shitter again."

"Seriously? Man, he shits more than a grizzly." The Prospect, Half-Sack, gave a wave of a farewell before getting in the truck and pulling out onto the road and off to where she presumed their shop was at.

She turned back to the man, who she now noted had to be at least six feet tall, and looked up to his face. It was blank, but his eyes held an emotion that she couldn’t place. They held gazes for a moment before she looked away, behind him. Where the other five stood not a few minutes ago, was only one bike. "Where did the others go?" 

"Had business to take care of. I'm taking you home." It wasn't a question, but a statement. He turned on his heel and walked towards his bike in long strides.

Good lord, what crawled up his ass and died?

Nora followed, and waited while he was digging through the leather storage bags on the bike. She took this moment to discreetly check him out. He had a sleeve of tattoos on both arms and a large one of a snake on the top of his head. Even with the 'don't fuck with me' vibe he was sending off, Nora was attracted to him.

"Here." His raspy voice said as he held out a helmet to her. She put it on before carefully sliding on behind him. She kept distance between them as he put on his own helmet and started the bike. It was then that she realized she had no idea what to do. Where did she put her hands? How much distance should she keep from his back? 

She heard him let out a quiet noise. A groan? A laugh? "Hold on tight." Before she could process what he said, he took off into the evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Trespassor94


	3. Happy to Help

Adrenaline soared through Nora's veins; a scorching feeling that excited her. This was the first time she had ever ridden on a beast like this one. When she was a little girl she had promised her father that she would never get on 'one of those monstrosities of death', as he liked to call them. But that was a long time ago. It was over ten years later, and she was breaking that promise. She found herself not caring.

It was amazing how fast her reflexes kicked in. After he gave her a literal split-second warning, he tore out of the parking lot. Nora had to quickly wrap her arms around his torso so she wouldn't fall and bust her head open on the pavement.

She had to admit that she was absolutely terrified for those first few moments. Soon after, the adrenaline came crashing into her. The feeling of the air ripping past her at 30 miles per hour, with no doors or roof to contain her, was freeing. Nora felt as though she had left something behind in the diner parking lot. Something she realized she didn't actually miss: fear.

Nora tapped on her companions corresponding shoulders whenever he needed to turn onto a different street. She thought that he might not have understood her actions, but he seemed to realize what she was doing after the first time. Too soon the motorcycle and it's two riders pulled into the driveway of Nora's one-story home.

The very last rays of the sun were beginning to set behind the horizon in the distance, turning the sky into a canvas of pinks, yellows, and oranges. It bathed the street in a soft glow that Nora had never been so fond of until that moment.

The tattooed driver turned off the ignition, and the vibrations beneath them stopped. The silence sounded deafening after being on the loud bike for the last ten minutes. Nora put her hand on his shoulder to steady herself before swinging her leg over. "Thank you." she said while trying to unclip the helmet, unsuccessfully. "Like I told your friend Half-Sack, I'm sorry for putting you out tonight. I should have had the truck checked out as soon as I got here, but I kept pushing it back. Look at where it got me." She apologized.

He took his clear riding glasses off and turned to face her. "He's not my friend, and it wasn't a big deal. We'll get it fixed tomorrow." He raised a brow at her, struggling with the helmet. "Come here."

She halted her actions. "What?" He slipped off of the bike and stood next to her small frame. "At the rate you're going I'll never get it back." He rasped out as his large hands came up to her face and began unhooking the strap beneath her chin. She held still, not knowing how the large man would react to a sudden movement. 

She thought to herself: ‘Good lord! He's a guy, not a wild animal’, mentally scolding herself. She cleared her throat. "So, handsome, you gotta name?" Nora then proceeded to give herself a mental slap on the forehead. What was wrong with her?! She had never been good at starting up a conversation, but even to her it sounded ridiculous.

Nora was sure her checks were a nice shade of red at this point. He glanced up from putting the helmet back into the storage area, eyebrow once again raised. He probably thought she was hitting on him. Not that hitting on him would be a bad thing. It was just out of character for her to do so.

They stared at one another for an eternity, or what felt like it. Nora found herself getting lost into his chocolate colored pupils that were so dark, she noticed, they almost classified as black. They had a hint of something in them. She would wager a guess that not a lot of people got close enough to see it. Whether on his part, or of them being too scared to get close.

Nora also realized that in this moment she was not afraid of the tall, tattooed, macho and muscled motorcyclist that stood in front of her. But in fact actually felt... safe. Something she had not felt for a long time before moving here. Before  _ Him _ .

"Happy." 

She blinked up at him. "Huh?"

"You asked if I had a name. It's Happy Lowman." The man, Happy, said in his raspy low voice. Nora let out a smile, and his eyebrows both dropped. As if waiting for something.

"Well, Happy Lowman, I'm Nora. Nora Schultz. Nice to meet you." She stuck her hand out in the foot or so of space between the two. He glanced down at it, then met her eyes once more. His large hand grasped onto her pail dainty one, dwarfing it in comparison. "Thank you, again. Ride safe and have a good night."

"You're welcome, little girl. I'll wait until you're inside." He let his hand fall back to his side. She gave him another small smile before turning. She slowly walked up the driveway, her backpack that she used as a purse lightly bouncing against her back. Reaching her door, she grabbed her keys and opened it. Nora stepped inside and turned on the lamp beside the door before turning and waving Happy, who was now sitting on the bike. He returned the gesture, and Nora closed the door. 

She was kicking off her flats when the roar of his bike cut through the silence. It rumbled loudly for a few seconds before it started to quiet down as he backed out and he drove off. Nora put the lock on her door before trudging towards her bathroom for a much needed soak.

~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~

Happy was not at all thrilled. Somehow he had been delegated as a chauffeur to the girl with car troubles. Jax had gotten a call from Opie, who needed help a town over. Happy was more than eager to go and help out his brother. But someone had to help the tiny woman home. And since Hap's specialty wasn't needed, he was put on taxi duty. Just. Fucking. Great.

He watched his fellow brothers ride out of the parking lot. With a scowl on his face he leaned against his bike and watched the girl, giving her a thorough once over. By watching her he noticed a few things. She had on a baggy shirt, one that could easily hide a weapon. She seemed to be at ease with the Prospect, talking to him freely with no noticeable discomfort . She didn't give out a bad vibe of any kind, which he was skilled at reading.

After watching the two converse like they were old buddies, Happy got tired of waiting. He stalked over towards them, stopping just behind the girl. He wanted to discreetly feel for a gun or knife, so he stopped directly behind her short frame. Not enough that they were actually touching, but close enough that he could feel the heat coming off of her body. He did not feel a weapon.

"Take her truck to the shop and get it up on the lift. Then go to Bobby's. He clogged the shitter again." he told the Prospect. It took everything in his being to not let his eyes betray any emotion when Happy felt the girl's gaze on his face. It was something that usually came natural to him. But in the presence of her, it seemed unnaturally hard to do.

The girl turned back to the Prospect when he said something in response, but Happy did not hear what the scrawny twenty-five year old said. It was at that moment that he noticed exactly how short she was compared to him. True, most people were short compared to his 6'2" frame, but this woman was five foot three, tops. The top of her head didn't even reach his collar bone.

He had immediately noticed her when he and his brothers had sat down for dinner. Charming was a very small town and hardly any new faces popped up. It was never a tourist attraction; they had nothing great to show. As a result, the small brunette stood out like a sore thumb that, for some reason, only he noticed.

  
  
  


Later that night, Happy closed his front door and dead bolted it. He took off his kutte and laid it on the back of the couch before heading towards the back patio. He opened the door and whistled before heading into the kitchen to make Scarlett, his 3 year old Pitbull, her dinner.

Just after his last stint in prison, he had found Scar on the side of the road, half-dead and pissed off, snarling at any person who tried to get near her. 

There were three things Happy could not stand: women getting beat, child abuse, and animal cruelty. Yeah, he had done some terrible stuff in his life; he wasn't called the Tacoma Killer for nothing. But seeing that itty-bitty puppy starving and almost dead on the side of the road had turned something on inside of him.

Happy got her fixed up and brought her to the one bedroom house he owned outside Charming city limits. To bring Scar back to life, it had taken a lot of time and love, which he had only shown to his mother and aunt up to that point. Soon though, she was completely healed and had grown attached to the man who most people found terrifying.

Scar was loyal only to Happy. He knew that if something were to ever happen to him with her around, she would protect him at all costs. He loved his canine companion dearly.

  
  


Happy was jolted from his memories as Scarlet came bounding into the kitchen and skidded to a halt next to her master, waiting for him to scratch her behind her ears. He did and she dug into the bowl of kibble next to his feet.

He closed and locked the patio door before walking into his bedroom. He didn't bother showering, instead choosing to strip down to his boxers, lay down, and stare at the ceiling.

He eventually fell asleep, a certain brunette woman on his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Trespasser94


	4. Puns Aren't Good With Coffee

It was the next day before Nora realized that she had no idea how to contact the men from yesterday, or how to find their shop. She didn't even have a map of the town. She had yet to see most of the area as she only went downtown and home up until that point.

It was 7:50 and Nora wasn't sure what to do. She could attempt to locate the shop and figure out what was wrong with her truck, but she would have to miss work on the second day. That wouldn't look good. Or she could walk to her shop and work, but then she would be sweaty, and that would be highly unprofessional.

She had been debating on what to do while finishing up breakfast when the sound of a motorcycle was heard. Nora peaked out of the kitchen window facing the front yard to see Happy getting off of his bike. She ducked away from the window to avoid being seen.

_Why was he here? She understood why he had given her a ride last night. One of the others, most likely Jax seeing as he was the most friendly to her, had probably made him do it because they had business elsewhere. But why would he show up the next day? Was he going to kill her?_ She dismissed that thought as soon as it occurred to her. True, he did have a dark aura about him. Despite this, she was not scared, although reason told her she probably should be. She had seen at the diner how everyone had reacted when he passed by. Conversations had ceased, everyone had stopped to look, then immediately looked away. Nora saw all of them have that reaction, yet she did not. She hadn’t been scared in the least, nor was she now. 

A knock echoed through the house. She turned off the stove burners and wiped her hands off before answering the door.

As expected, she found Happy standing on her porch looking intimidating. Or trying to be.

"Mornin' stranger. Haven't seen you in what, 12 hours? I forgot what your face looked like." She joked. 

A minuscule upward twist of the lips. "You're friendly in the morning."

She laughed. "I’m always friendly. Wanna come in? I have some coffee and breakfast that has your name on it." Nora said, opening the door wider. He hesitated for a moment before stepping through, having to tilt his head a bit to the side to not scrape it on the door facing. "I will never turn down food."

Nora shut the door and headed into the kitchen. He leaned against the counter behind her as she grabbed a mug and plate down from the cabinet. She handed him the plate to fill up while she poured him a cup. "How do you take it?" She asked. "Black." The cup was one she got when she worked part-time at Wal-mart back in high school. It had the smiley face logo on it. Perfect! She was a sucker for puns. Oh if only she knew how much of a pun it was...

She sat it across from her own at the table before sitting down and beginning to eat. Happy set down with his plate piled high with bacon, eggs, toast, and sausage. Nora was glad she had made extra today; she had a tendency to make too much.

They sat in silence while eating. She wasn't sure if it was because he wasn't much of a talker, or her southern manners. She had been taught from a young age to not talk while eating. At 21 years old, she found herself minding her manners still. Most of them anyway. 

It took Happy 5 minutes to notice. He had just taken a drink and was sitting the mug down when it happened. Nora assumed it was supposed to be a snort, but with a mouth full of coffee he ended up choking and spraying coffee mist through his nose onto the table, their plates, and their food.

Her loud laughing echoed around the room along with his coughing. She had expected he would react this way. Happening while he was taking a drink? Even better! She walked into the kitchen, still laughing, and grabbed a tea towel and handed it to the coughing man.

"Sorry." Not sorry. "I wanted to make a pun, I just wasn't expecting you to get it while taking a drink." Nora explained, a smile on her face and trying to stifle her laughter.

"You're a real funny woman." He grumbled under his breath.

The duo finished eating in silence, different from the one before. When they finished, Nora took their dirty dishes into the kitchen to be washed. "Do you want any more coffee?" 

She heard him stand and follow in behind her. She felt a prickling sensation run through her body, originating from the base of her neck and traveling down her spine, making her shiver slightly. He was watching her.

"No, I'm good." 

She swallowed before speaking. She felt... antsy... with Happy behind her, studying her. Nora had been fine before, but all of the sudden she felt nervous. Almost... shy?

"So, uh, what brings you by here this morning?" She asked him as she started washing the dishes.

"You mentioned last night that you had no friends to give you a ride. I was free, so here I am with a ride." He pushed off the counter and stood beside her before turning on the tap and began rinsing.

Nora halted her actions and turned her head to stare at him. This man, this big bad biker, was offering her a ride to work and was helping her with her dishes. This was turning out to be a strange morning.

They made small talk while cleaning. How old are you, how long have you been here, what do you do. During the five minute talk, Nora learned that Happy was in fact his real name, that he was not from Charming, and that he was 30 years old. He traveled between towns where different branches of his club were located.

"Are you sure you don't mind giving me a ride?" Nora asked as she locked up the house. 

"Nah. Besides, you never know what could happen."

"What could possibly happen in a town named Charming?" 

He let out a chuckle. "You'd be surprised, girl."

She followed Happy to his motorcycle. Up close and in the bright California sun she saw the Harley-Davidson logo next to an awesome decal of a reaper on the gas tank. She was not good at recognizing brands unless they were Chevy, Ford, or Kia, but she was even worse at bikes. It was not a sports bike, she knew that much last night. It gave her a weird sense of comfort to know that it was a Harley, for some reason. The same feeling she got when being near the man who was helping her on to the machine.

"Where do you work?" He yelled over the rumbling engine beneath them. She recited the address, and they were off. Her neighbor across the street waved and gave her a warm smile, which she returned. His smile faded to a look of concern, however, when he realized who she was with. Though she didn’t see that part.

They soon pulled into the small parking lot behind her building. The rumbling of the engine continued for a moment before Happy turned it off. Nora took a moment to gather herself before climbing off a lot more gracefully the night before. She took off and handed the bowl-like safety device to him.

He took it from her, his large tan fingers grazing her pale dainty ones. The contact lingered for a split second longer than necessary before Happy retracted his hand. Nora waited until he had finished returning the helmet to its place and turned back to her to say "Thanks for the ride. Again. Any word on my truck?"

"Saw one of the mechanics putting it onto the lift before I left. Should know the basics by lunch." Happy replied.

"So it's probably safe to assume I'm not gonna to get it back today?"

"Yeah. What time are you done?"

"Closing time is seven."

"See you at seven." Happy told her before starting the bike once again, backing up, and leaving. Nora stood rooted to her spot until the bike and its driver were out of sight, before unlocking the door behind her and entering her shop. 

  
  


It was 8:45, and her only appointment today was a walk in with a guy named Elliot Oswald at nine. He showed up on time and they began discussing what he wanted done. Elliot wasn't picky, but Nora wanted to make sure that he told her all that he wanted before leaving. She learned that he owned practically everything in the town; beef, lumber, construction, even a ranch that doubled as a B&B. She did not want to mess this up; it could make or break her company.

They finished at a quarter to 10. Elliot was a nice guy in his late 40's. He seemed impressed by her. He had invited her over to dinner with his family for being so accommodating and a nice person. Nora agreed, having been raised to never refuse an invitation. She was skeptical at first, but got good vibes from him, so in the end agreed. They said good-bye after promising to call and make a date for dinner.

For her remaining time before lunch she got to work on her other projects. By lunch she had the final draft on three of the five from the day before, and was just waiting for confirmation from the clients. Her stomach started to rumble in hunger when her phone began ringing. She grabbed it out of her bag which laid beside her desk at her feet. The caller ID read Happy.

Nora answered with a friendly, slightly cautious, "Hello?". She had a feeling he might call, she had given Half-Sack her number to put in her file, but why did his name show up?

"Got some news on your truck."

"Good or bad?"

"Both. It was the starter."

"Honestly that doesn't surprise me, it's been acting up for a while. Had trouble catching a few times now I think back. That probably would have been useful to know." She admitted with a giggle.

He let out a breathy sounding chuckle. "Yeah. Probably."

"Alrighty then. Do you by any chance know when it should be fixed?"

"It was shot to hell, no chance of fixing it. Ordered a new one, should be in by end of the week. Have it fixed by midday Friday."

"That's wonderful!" She practically screeched. She heard him let out another chuckle. 

"I'll be by at 7 to pick you up."

"Okay. I'll be ready. Bye for now."

"Bye." She hung up. This was great! Only 4 days until she'll have her truck back. 

With a new found pep in her step, she put the 'open' sign to 'not open', and walked into the back where her mini kitchen was located and began to make lunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by: Trespasser94


	5. Days Gone By

The rest of Nora's day went by in a flash. She got confirmation on the three final drafts and finished a rough draft on another. She would start on Oswald's project either tomorrow or the day after, whenever she finished getting some rough drafts on project #5.

At 5 till she started shutting down and getting ready to leave, and at 7 exactly she was zipping up her bag when her phone pinged with a text notification.

Happy

-Here

How punctual.

Nora grabbed her stuff and made her way outside through the back door. There in all his six foot something glory, Happy stood leaning against his Harley. 

"Have you been here long?" Nora asked him as she locked up.

"Five minutes. Got everything?"

"Yup! Let's go." 

She hopped on behind him and they were off. They pulled onto Main street, passing the grocery store, Floyd's Barber Shop, Hannah's diner, and all the other businesses on the way to Nora's house. Ten minutes later Happy pulled into her driveway.

She hopped off and handed the helmet to him. She was getting better at both every time she did it. "Want some dinner? I make some killer chicken and dumplings."

Happy looked at her from his position on the bike. "Hell yeah." She smiled at him and began walking up the drive, Happy a few strides behind her, though it didn't take him long to catch up to her with his long legs. 

The two entered and she turned on the lights in passing towards the kitchen. "Make yourself comfortable. Want anything to drink? Got water, pop, milk, OJ." 

"Got any beer?" Happy asked from his position by the front door. He closed it and started making his way towards her. 

"Umm," She opened the fridge. "Yes, actually! I forgot I bought this. I'm not a big drinker." She handed a bottle to him and grabbed a can of Dr. Pepper for herself.

She put some music on through her iPod. The beginning guitar riff of Enter Sandman flowed through the kitchen. 

"Metallica. Excellent choice." Happy said from his spot leaning against the counter, much like that morning. "Shit! I didn't even ask what you like to listen to. My momma is probably cursing me from her grave."

"What do you listen to?" He asked in his gravelly voice. "A mixture of everything actually. Got some Ozzy, Metallica, Avril Lavigne, The Black Eyed Peas, Saliva, some musical numbers. Hell, I even have some Disney on there." Happy chuckled. "That is a mixture. I've heard of all of them except April whatshername."

"Avril. Not April." Nora laughed.

"Whatever." 

Nora got to work making dinner. The two made conversation as she pulled apart the biscuits (She had cheated and bought the kind in a can, how shameful), boiled the chicken, cut it up, and added everything into the same pot. She also decided to make a side of green beans and a side of mashed potatoes.

Soon they were eating. A small noise of agreement came from Happy as he took the first bite; this caused Nora's insides to do a flip. There was something about a guy liking your cooking that makes a southern girl proud. 

It was surprising how comfortable she was with Happy. Conversation came easy. Even though she had just met him the day before, Nora could tell he wasn't a huge talker. But it seemed, to her anyway, that he was comfortable talking to her more than he probably would anyone else normally.

💀🌸💀🌸💀🌸💀🌸💀

He didn't know what it was about this tiny woman that made him open up like this. Happy was a naturally closed off person. Even to his mother, his blood. But here he was giving his life's story to her. And honestly, he actually enjoyed talking to her. 

And it scared the absolute living shit out of him.

Getting too close to someone emotionally was dangerous. To him and to whoever he decided to risk it with. It only lead to heartache anyway. Someone would die, and someone would be left hurt. It could get him killed if he thought about that person while on a job, distracting him. It could hurt them if by some chance they were connected to him and an enemy found out. They would use the person against him. Getting close was dangerous.

But he had to admit, her cooking was delicious. If conversation was a trade for her food, he was okay with it. 

He once again helped her with the dishes after dinner. Happy knew that she was questioning why he was helping her with something as mundane as cleaning dirty dishes, but she didn't voice it.

That was how the next three days went by. He would pick her up from home and drop her off at work, then at 7 he would pick her up again and take her back home. And every night she would cook for him in gratification. It was a good thing that her truck would be fixed today or he would have to start working out more. Comfort food was something he was not used to.

They settled down on the couch, a beer in his hand and a bottle of water in hers. Nora had mentioned while cooking that she watched a certain program every Thursday night about some brothers that fought demons with guns. The way she had gone on about it so passionately had peaked his interest and he had decided to stay and watch.

Happy didn't normally just sit down and watch television, but as the hour wore on he was glad that he had stayed. The one who drove the car had just been teleported into an alternate universe where everything was ridiculously mundane and was fighting his way to get back to the Superman looking one. Happy quite liked this paranormal horror show. Which was strange considering he normally only watched car rebuilding shows or cartoons.

The show was almost over. Sometime during the hour Nora had slid over to him and her head was now rested on his arm slung along the back of the couch. He would never admit this out loud, but he enjoyed having her close to him. She had the scent of cherry blossom on her, possibly lotion or body wash. He had never liked the smell before. A croweater a few years back practically bathed herself in it to the point it was nauseating. Happy could barely smell it on Nora, either she had put it on earlier in the day and it had faded, or she didn't put a lot on. Either way, it was refreshing not to have his senses assaulted.

💀🌸💀🌸💀🌸💀🌸💀

A sharp three toned knock came from the front door. Nora felt Happy tense to her left. "You expecting anyone, little girl?" She shook her head in response. No one had shown up except the first night she moved, when she was invited to dinner across the road. She didn't know who it was.

Happy stood up quickly but quietly and pulled a gun from the back of his pants. She SHOULD have been surprised, asking him why he had a gun hidden on his person. But she had felt it the first time she rode behind him, and had seen it the day before when she came out of her building and he was fixing his shirt.

Happy stalked to the door, quiet as a lion about to pounce on its prey. He checked the peephole and something that sounded like "Fuck a dick" was muttered before he unlocked the door and opened it to find the curly haired man from the diner.

"Hey Hap, whatcha up to?" Nora got up from her seat and walked up behind Happy, who was not looking thrilled to see the man who had the same kutte on. The air of relaxation was gone from Happy, and in its place was the tension that she noticed he had when out in public.

"What Tig?" The now grumpy Happy all but growled. Nora laid a hand on his lower back, feeling it constricted with tension. He took a breath, as if to steady himself, and then continued. "Could've called if I was needed." Tig, who had witnessed the exchange, now had a smile that could only be described as a Cheshire Cat grin across his face. Nora knew Tig would question Happy about it when she wasn't around.

"Who said you were needed?" He replied. Happy just gave him a flat look. Nora could practically smell the testosterone filling the air. "Would you like to come inside?" She asked, hoping a fight would not arise in her doorway. Happy shot her a side eye glance.

Tig turned his grin towards her. "Thanks Doll. I'd love to come in." She grabbed Happy's shirt where her hand was and gave it a tug. With a barely noticeable grumble and a glare towards the other man, he moved from the doorway. He placed the safety back on his gun and slumped back into the couch.

Nora motioned Tig towards the kitchen. "You want something to drink? Got pop, water, beer."

"Beer if you don't mind, Sweetheart."

"No prob." She grabbed the item and handed it to him, not noticing the dark stare coming from the couch. The two joined Happy in the living room. Nora retaking her seat beside Happy and Tig sitting in the armchair. They remained silent for a few moments, each taking a drink of their respective beverages, before Tig spoke. "Got an invitation for ya, Doll."

"An Invitation? For what?" He nodded. "We're having a little party tomorrow at the clubhouse. Jax just found out he's going to have a kid. He's not too excited about it, but we are. Would love for you to show up, meet the rest of the club. I know Juice has been dying to see you again. Said something about finally having someone to talk to about electronics that actually knows half-ass about them. But me? I think he just wants to-"

"Enough Tig!" Happy exclaimed loudly. Nora raised a brow at him. He just stared back as if daring her to ask. She decided to question him about it another time.

She turned back towards Tig. "Sure. I'd love to come. I don't need to dress up do I?" A barking laugh escaped from Tig and a surprisingly loud chuckle was heard from Happy. She held her hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. I don’t want to show up over or under dressed.”

The three talked and joked for another hour. Not so much Happy, but he did chuckle a few more times that night. Tig left for home soon after 10 o'clock, which Nora found out was only five blocks away. He mentioned that should anything ever happen, that she could come to him.

"You don't have to come tomorrow if you don't want to." Happy told her as he was getting ready to leave an hour later. 

Nora turned to fully face him, which was difficult with their height difference. "I want to, Hap. From the few guys that I've met and talked with, they seem cool. I'd like to meet everyone before I make the decision." He gave her a questioning look. "Of whether or not I'm pro or con Sons of Anarchy.”

I've heard lots of things about your club since I've moved here. Mostly good, some bad. I was raised to never judge people on their outward appearances. On the outside, you guys are leather-wearing badass motorcycle riders with criminal records. But that can't be all that you are. People can't be 100% good or 100% evil. Talking to you this past week has shown me that. I can see that your good shines through your tough-as-nails facade than you got going on."

An bewildered expression was etched into Happy's tanned face; a mixture of shock, admiration, and a third emotion she couldn't pin down. "Hap? Are you okay?" Shit. Had she broken him with her mini-speech? She knew she needed to keep the inner ramblings of her mind just there; in her mind. This is why the guys back home avoided her. She always scared them off when she talked for more than six seconds.

He finally blinked after staring at her for a solid 30 seconds. Nora was waiting for some lame-ass excuse that would aid in his escape away from her. Instead he placed his hands gently on either side of her face, cupping her cheeks. She knew it was coming, she knew that she should pull away, knew that it was way too soon. But Nora found herself not caring as he kissed her. And she didn't mind reciprocating the action.

It was a short but passion filled kiss. By the end her heart was pounding a million miles a minute. Nora took a breather before asking, "What was that for? Not that I don't mind, because I enjoyed that quite a lot actually and I should quit talking now." She trailed off, glancing down at the floor, a dark blush fanning across her face.

A small smile captured the bald man's face. "Tell you another day." He placed another kiss on her forehead before removing his hands from their places on her cheek and back of head, where it had strayed to. "Pick you up in the morning?"

"I'll be waiting with coffee and breakfast. Got any requests?" He shook his head. "Surprise me." He finished what was left of his drink and threw away the bottle. Nora had learned the past three days that Happy was a notorious neat freak. It was a nice change of pace from her last boyfriend, who never seemed to know where the trash can was. 

They said goodnight and Nora watched as he drove away in the quiet darkness, not knowing what would happen the next day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Read by: Trespasser94
> 
> If you like Harry Potter, go check out her profile!!


	6. Party Time

Nora made omelets for breakfast paired with fresh ground coffee and blueberry muffins. Happy showed up on time for the 4th day in a row, ate with her, took her to work, and left to do whatever it is he did throughout the day. He had mentioned that he sometimes helped around the garage where the others worked, but not consistently.

"I'll be out of town for the day, be back tonight. See you at the clubhouse?" He asked her as she was taking the helmet off. He had borrowed a second helmet from one of the other old ladies, who apparently had never used it judging by its condition.

A panicked look appeared on her face. "So I just show up? To a party where I only know 3 people. Okay. Easy enough." She breathlessly laughed before taking a hope-to-be calming breath; not that it fooled either of them.

Happy lay a gentle hand on her cheek and bent down so that they were face to face. "You don't have to go." His dark gaze boring into hers, wanting to know everything that they held. She could see his struggle, he wanted to know, but it terrified him.

Nora took a second, more stabilizing breath before responding. "No, I'm just overreacting. Everything will be fine." She placed a hand on the elbow of the arm that was lifted caressing her face, not wanting him to let go quite yet. "You will be there, right?" A twinkle could be seen in his eyes as he nodded. Happy retracted his hand from her soft face. He grabbed her bag from his saddlebag and handed it to her.

That was earlier that morning. It was now lunchtime and Nora was in the middle of eating a turkey sandwich from the deli down the street when a knock came from the back entrance of her store. She set down her food and made her way towards the backdoor, wondering who it could be. Happy was out of town, she didn't do anything that required having stuff delivered, and customers wouldn't use the back door. She was stumped.

Nora stopped short of opening it. She had watched too many crime shows where this exact scene had happened and the person always got hurt or killed. Who knew that watching public television would come in handy?

"Who is it?" Nora rolled her eyes at herself. Well, that was stupid. Anyone could lie about their name to gain entrance. She really needed a peephole or something back here.

"Kip! I mean Half-Sack! You know, from the diner parking lot? I have your truck for you." Nora tentatively unlocked and opened the door, peeking her head around to check if it was him. The redhead grinned at her from the other side. "Checking to see if it was actually me?"

She opened the door up to let him come inside. "You can never be too careful." She replied. He slipped past her and stepped into the hallway. Nora closed the door and motioned him towards her office.

The two entered Nora's office and took a seat. "How much do I owe you, Kip?" She asked, reaching down to grab her bag at her feet. Across the desk, Kip stiffened. Her eyebrow arched as she pulled her wallet out.

The tension went out of his body. "No payment."

Nora paused her actions to look at him. "No payment? I did some research and the replacement for a starter can cost up to 400 dollars, not including labor."

"Happy said not to bother with it." Her brow rose again. "In more or less words." She shook her head. She grabbed some bills, plus an extra hundred for the personal delivery, and slid it to him across the desk. "Take the money, Kip. I don't like or take handouts. I'll talk to Happy tonight when I come to the party."

Kip took a long breath, seeming to decide whether to continue the fight or to take the money. He decided and scooped up the cash and tucked it into his kutte pocket. "I didn't know what the exact cost was but there is $600 there. If it's not enough give me a call and I'll bring the rest by tonight." She told him.

"Okay, but Happy won't be happy with this." A second of silence was followed by laughter from the duo. "He doesn't exactly live up to his name, does he?"

"Not really."

Nora followed Kip to the back lot. He unhooked her vehicle from the truck and she drove it into her normal spot. It fired up perfectly.

He said goodbye after promising to see her at the clubhouse later. She returned inside after locking the door and continued working, satisfied that she had her baby back again.

~~🌸💀~~

Nine-thirty rolled around quickly and Nora was a little nervous about attending the party. She wanted to go, to meet new people and have a good time; something she hadn't done since leaving Oklahoma. But on the other hand, she was skeptical about what could happen, and who would be there. Nora liked Happy, Kip, and Juice, and was on friendly terms with the blond guy, Jax. The three others that were at the diner earlier in that week she hadn't talked to.

Nora didn't automatically judge people; enough of that had been done to her and her family when she was younger. But she had been around Charming long enough and heard about what went down at the famous SAMCRO parties. Sex, drugs, alcohol, the whole works. 

Nora wasn't a prude. She'd had a few drinks in her life. Had some wonderful, and less than wonderful sex. She'd smoked some pot during high school and college. She just wasn't sure if she would be comfortable with all of it around her while being around lots of new people.

A ding came from her phone on the coffee table. 

Happy

_-you still coming?_

Her stomach did a flip. Happy wanted her to come. She pondered her options before texting back.

_ -Getting ready. Be there in 20 _

She got up from the couch and made her way towards the closet. She put on a pair of acid-washed skinny jeans, a band tee cut into a tank top, and her skull flats. She did her hair in a low ponytail and touched up her makeup she had on already. She gave herself a final once-over in the mirror and was satisfied; She was ready.

Nora grabbed her license and some money and put them in her front pocket. Grabbing her keys she locked up, and headed to her truck. 

She jammed out to the Black Eyed Peas, singing at the top of her lungs to Let’s Get It Started as she followed the directions that Happy had sent her. She was beginning to feel excited and was still ridiculously happy at having her truck back.

She arrived at the infamous Sons of Anarchy clubhouse 10 minutes later. She parked the truck on the street in front of a chainlink gate separating their lot from the road.

Her earlier nerves returned with a vengeance as she passed the threshold. Loud rock music was flowing through the speakers mounted at the top of the cinderblock building to her left. A long row of vehicles were parked along the fenceline spanning the full right side of the lot.

Nora saw a couple making out heavily, almost to the point of sex, in the corner to her right as she was looking around. Now that brought back some memories!

Back in Junior High, she had her first boyfriend, who was NOT a good influence. He got her to try alcohol and smoke her first cigarette at the ripe age of 14. They had a scene that looked just like this one. Except it was against the wall of the school at 10pm!

As much as Nora didn't like to think about that boy, a fond smile came over her face as she looked away from the two in the corner. 

She continued on her way in search of a friendly face. Around the corner of the building was where the most people were. There was a roaring fire pit with a section cut out in the front. The letters of SAMCRO allowed access for the flames to shine through onto the surrounding area. Past the pit was picnic tables full of rowdy people drunkenly talking and arm wrestling. And in the very corner of the roofed outdoor area, was a boxing ring.

From her position by the fire pit, Nora could see what looked like Jax and Juice fighting one another. She walked through the throng of people clustered around the tables to get closer to the ring when a hand was laid on her shoulder.

She stopped in her tracks and looked at the person connected to the manicured hand. A woman, in her fifties would be Nora's guess, with dark hair and blonde highlights wearing a leather jacket and some killer high heels was glaring at her.

"Can I help you?" Nora asked the woman, whose claw-like nails were digging into her shoulder. There would definitely be bruises there tomorrow. 

"I don't know you think you are, coming onto this property without invitation. But it's time for you to leave." She said harshly.

"Oh! But I-" 

"Save it little miss priss. I know your type. You came here to just suck dick, right? Want to climb that social ladder. Snag you a high-ranking member to be shown off?"

"Ma'am, I'm not trying to-"

"Trying to get to my son, or Tig, or even MY old man. Well, let me tell you sweetheart, that will NEVER happen under my watch. I can have you thrown out at beck and call."

"The fuck is going on here?" An accented voice said from behind the psycho woman. They both turned to find the guy from the diner, the one with the goatee. 

Mrs. Claws turned her hawk-like attention to him, loosening her puncturing grip slightly. "Just making sure that this little tart knows that she isn't welcome here, Chibs."

"Gemma, this is Nora! Happy's Nora!" The man, Chibs (what was with these bikers and the strange names?), exclaimed. What did he mean by 'Happy's Nora'? Had Happy been talking about her to people? The thought was slightly frightening, but endearing at the same time.

_Gemma's_ expression turned from bitchy annoyance to aloof curiosity in a second. She finally loosened her hold on Nora's shoulder and turned to face the younger female.

"So, you're the one that's had Happy traipsing around all week. You must have some killer pussy, because you're not what I pictured. Gemma Teller-Morrow." She stuck out the hand that had previously just been dug into Nora's skin.

Nora looked at the hand apprehensively and offended before grabbing it cautiously. "Well, it seems like you've already heard of me. Do you always degrade and blame every woman who walks in here trying to steal your man, or was that just for me?" She tried to lighten the mood with a half-joking question.

That earned a smirk from the older woman. "It's happened before. Got to set these bitches straight before they get brave enough to try." Well if that didn't sound like a warning, Nora didn't know what was. Gemma gave the younger woman a once over followed by a small nod before walking into the building next to her without so much as a 'goodbye'.

"Well isn't she a ray of sunshine." Nora muttered sarcastically to her remaining companion. "Your name is… Chibs… right?" She asked the dark-haired fellow who had replaced the spot where the other female had stood moments before.

"Aye, lass. That'd be me." He smiled at her, his thick Scottish accent barely heard over the uproar of cheers at ringside.

An overwhelming feeling of comfort washed over her as she looked up at his light brown eyes. His presence gave off 'everything will be okay' along with 'fuck with the people I love, you will die'. 

Nora could not pin down the emotion that she was feeling at that exact moment. But she did know it wasn't something she had felt in a long time.

Chibs wrapped his arm around her upper back, giving her non-injured shoulder a squeeze. "Come on sweetheart, Happy is this way." 

Chibs ushered her into the cinderblock building, where she was met with a very unexpected sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta read by Trespasser94

**Author's Note:**

> Beta read by: Trespasser94


End file.
